Cloth wiper for power-plate printing



Nov. 19, 1929; c. HAWKINS CLOTH WIPER FOR POWER PLATE PRINTING FiledJan. "I. 1925 s Sheets- Sheet 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .177 85 mfiw Nov. 19,1929. c. HAWKINS CLOTH WIPER FOR POWER PLATE PRINTING Filed Jan. 7, 1925a r a m Noy.l9, 1929. c. HAWKINS 1,735,402

CLOTH WIPER FOR POWER PLATE PRINTING Filed Jan. 7, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3i atented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CYRUS HAWKINS, OFCAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIRES, CASTNER & HAR- BIS, INC., OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE CLOTH WIPER FORPOWER-PLATE PRINTING Application filed January 7, 1925. Serial No. 973.

My invention relates to wipers for plates used with printing andembossing presses and is particularly applicable to plates carried by anendless chain.

A purpose of my invention in its complete embodiment is to wipe, cleanand polish a plate by passing it successively across a number of rolls,each roll presenting fabric or similar material against the surface ofthe plate.

A further purpose is to present an arcuate wiping surface to a movingplate.

A further purpose is to use a continuing length of the same material,preferably cloth, successively first as a wiper, then as a cleaner andthen as a polisher.

A further purpose is to longitudinally jig a roll presenting cloth orlike material against a plate, to make its polishing, cleaning and/ or owiping action more effective.

A further purpose is to gear together and to positively and adjustablydrive rolls adapted.

successively to present cloth against a moving plate, in order tomaintain a uniform but adjustable feed of cloth between the rolls.

ishing, cleaning and Wiping rolls respective-' A further purpose is toprovide a roll wiper interchangeable with existing pad wipers.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by one only of the manyforms in which it may be used, selecting a form however which isconvenient and efficient in operation and which illustrates particularlywell the principles involved.

Figure 1 isa broken elevation and illustrates my invention somewhatdiagrammatically in position of use, wiping a plate.

Figure 1 is a portion of Figure 1 to enlarged scale.

Figure 2 isa top plan view of the structure shown'in Figure 1 butomitting the plate.

Figure 2 is a portion of Figure 2 to enlar ed scale.

figure 3 is a section of Figure 2, taken upon the line 33 and toenlarged scale.

Figure 4. is an enlarged fragment from Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5+5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a broken rear elevation of detail parts seen in rear sectionelevation in Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a left end elevation of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is aright end elevation of a portion of the structure seen inFigure 6.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a detail sleeve seen also in Figures 6and 7.

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view on reduced scale showing the path ofthe wiping material.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all fig ures.

Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring to thefigures In the illustration a usual form of wiper support is shownmounted beneath a platecarrier 15. It comprises vertical slotted guideand support members 16 and 17 on opposite sides of the carrier and arms18 and 19 keyed to the rocker shaft 20. These arms in turn adjustablysupport the members 16 and 17.

The rocker shaft pivots in fixed bearings 21 and 22 in oppositestationary portions 23 and 2 1 of the frame of the press. It is operatedto vertically position the slotted members 18, 19 by means of hand wheel25. This wheel has a hub 26, internally threaded to receive the threadedupper end of rod 27 and externally threaded to receive a nut 28 beneaththe fixed hub bearing 29. This swivels the hub.

' The rod 27 carries pin 30 at its lower end which pin pivots in a fork31 of the outerend of an arm 32 keyed to the rocker shaft.

7 The vertical slots 33 in the members 16,17 cooperate with fixedtransverse rods 34 and 35to form a vertical guide for the support.

Threaded holes 36, 37, 38 and 39 near the ends 5.; springs, with outer.ends supportedagainst.

of the members 16, 17 provide convenient means interchangeably forconnection to a usual pad wiper or for connection to the mechanism of myinvention.

In that usual wipers are well known and do not in themselves form partof my invention, I have not shown them in the drawings.

The mechanism of the invention is carried upon transverserails and 41which are secured by screws 42, 43, 44 and 45 entering holes 36'39. Endmembers 4 6"and 47fas tened to and along the rails 40 and41 carry theside members 48 and 49. The side members at their ends are fastened tothe end;

members by screws 50, 51 52 and 53.

The side members 48 and 49, are bored at 54 and 55, 56 and 57 and 58 and59 to form op: posite bearings forthe shafts60, 6;1'; a-nd 62.0fthe'rolls63, 64 and;65. The side membersv a are bored also at 66 and67,68 and69 and 70 and 71 to form bearings for the idler shaft-s 72,73;ands74.

The rolls 63,. 64 2111Cl165u2l1'fi preferably,covered,circumferentially. with rubber or other O; resilient materialand are placed substantial ly tangential with the pathof the bottomsurface of the plate 75 carried by the carrier. 15. Vertical adjustment.at the. wheel 25 permits bringing these rolls to exactly the proper aheight irrespective of differences in the thicknesses of'platesused.

The roll shafts are rearwardly extended beyond the side member 49, spurgears 76, 77 and 78 being keyed to the extended portions 7 and theextreme ends beingrounded, at 79,

to provide substantially axial: engagement with-jiggers 80 whichareintended to push the roll shafts in an endwise direction.

The forwardiends 81 of theroll shaftsare bored and counterbored at 82and 83 to receivethie inner. endsofipi-ns 84 and. surrounding springs85'.v Atfwasher. 86.is.locate.d prefersably in each .counterbore toreceive the-end of the spring. The springs-85 are compression astationary strip 87which is mounted fronr the side member 48 upon.posts88. The outerendsof the pins 84 are fastened against axialmovement in the strip. 875 as, shown at 89.: 1 The arrangement is suchthat: the springs press the rolls axiallysinward so as to main-. tainthe rounded inner ends of the roll shaftscontinually pressing againstthe jiggers 80.

Posts 90 and 91' mountedrespectively on.

1 the rails 40 and :41'near their inner ends .pro-

vide bearingsupport for the camshaft 92 and for a shaft 93-upon whichthe jiggers80' loosely pivot.- j

The cam shaft is provided with a gear 94 to which it is keyed. The gearis driven in any convenientmanner, not shown.

The jigging operation'is effected by the cooperative actionof' the cams94: rigidly fas ten'ed to the cam shaft; the jiggers 80 loosely; pivotedon the shaft 93 and the springs 85.

The sectional shape of the cams is generally oblong with rounded ends.These ends successfully engage the toes 95 of the jiggers and as thejigger members turn to permit the cams to pass the toes the heels 96engage the roundcleaning roll 64, under the idler 72, over thewiping-roll63, to windiup on the receiving spool 99., The rolls73'cand72 are so called becausethey have been" given another function than meregiving. tension and direction to the material and; if not; given theadded l functions, could be shafts or bars.

Fork hearings 100 and 101 for the delivery spool are carried. bybrackets 102 and 103 which are respectively fastened to the end 47 byscrews 104 and 105. fastened by screws 107 to the cross piece 47 passesover the delivery spool. A suitable weight. 108 is fastenedto its lowerend, providing proper friction resistance to unwindingof the delivery.spool. Any desired resistance is obtained by varying the weight 108.

The receiving.- spool- 99 is supported upon brackets 109. and 110fastened to the end 46 by screws 111and 112-.

' One end113of the shaft of the receiving spool rests in a fork bearing114 of the bracket 1 10. The other: end 115 of the shaft of thereceiving spool fits into a slotted sleeve 116 which isrigidly screwedtothe inner end-of a headed shaft-117. A projecting pin 118 through theshaft 115 fits the slot 119 of the sleeve 116 so that the receivingspool and shaft 115 turn together. The shaft 117 turns in the closedbearing 120 in the end of bracket 109.

The ratchet feed for an adjustable but uniform feed of thematerial 97successively over the different. rolls from the delivery spool to thereceivingspool is best seen in Figures 4 and 5.

The shaft 117 is extended in front of its bearing 120 to providepivotsupport for the feed arm 121. ratchet cover 122 and ratchet wheel123. The Wheel has a hub 124 which is frictionally pressed against theinner shoulder 125 of a head 126 at the outer end of the shaft.

The hub 124 of the ratchet wheel carries A strap 106 rigidly fastened toit a sprocket wheel 127 vide an adjustable friotionvengagement betweenthe shaftandthe ratchet member.

The feed arm carries a pawl 130 which engages teeth 131 of the ratchet.I It is moved up and down in any suitable way by the operation of thepress. As shown the end 132 of the main driving shaft of the press isprovided with an eccentric pin 133 and a link 134between this pin andthe outer end of the feed arm operates the feed arm.

It'is desirable to make the feed adjustable which may be done in anyconvenient way. In the illustration the adjustment is-by means of theratchet cover 122 which is set by a D screw 135 carried by an arm 136 ofthe cover. It engages the hub of the bearing 120. As

the feed arm moves down the pawl first engages and then rides over thecover at 137 and the efiective length of each stroke is thus determinedby the position of the cover.

The spur gears 138, 139 and 140 are mounted upon the rearwardly extendedends of the idler shafts 72, 73 and 74 which, meshing with the rollgears 76, 77 and 78, constitute with the latter gears a train wherebythe rolls are geared together and must move in unison.

If desired the gear 140 may be dispensed with, and the gears 138 and 139may be loose with respect to their shafts allowing slippage. However, Ihave thus far preferred to have the idler shafts driven by theirrespective gears.

The rolls 63, 64 and being of the same diameter and carrying the samesize gears,

76, 77 and 78 respectively, have the same circumferential rate of feed,and if desired the idler rolls 72, 73 and 74 may also be given the samecircumferential speed by providing proper relation between theirdiameters and the size of the gears 138, 139 and 140. Usually however, Ideem is preferable not to do this because of the greater cost of drivingthe shafts and because of the greater compactness to be secured. Itherefore permit slippage of the material 97 at the idler rolls, as inthe arrangement illustrated.

The train of rolls is positively driven from the ratchet wheel 123carrying sprocket wheel 127, a sprocket wheel 141 being provided on theextended end of the shaft 72, and driven by a sprocket chain 142 fromthe wheel 127.

It is desirable to be able to moisten the material 97 before any one oreach of the rolls 65, 64 and 63 respectively, and to an adjustableextent.

This may be done in any convenient manner. In the illustration means isprovided for adjustably applying moistening at each of the idler rolls.The mechanism shown is the same at each of the idler rolls. Themoistening unit shown comprises a water reservoir 143 in which areprovided a lower (water) feed roll 144 supported in fixed bearings 145and 146 and an upper (water-applying) roll 147 adj ustably supported inhousing bearings 148. The ends of the shaft of the applying roll 147extend out somewhat from the bearings 148 and when in place aresupported upon inclined bearings 149 which are adjustably slope-d so asto bring the applying roll in contact with the material 97 where it liesagainst the idler roll. 7

The sloping bearings 149 for the ends of the shaft of the moistureapplying roll are mounted upon a frame structure 150 provided atopposite ends with hook members 151 and 152 hooking over the idlershaft. The idler shaft is shown of reduced size at the ends. A shortloose round sleeve 153 is shown under the hook 152. The hook 151 fitsabout a noncircular portion 154 of a sleeve 155. sleeve surrounding thereduced end of the idler shaft is provided with a round portion whichpasses through the side member 48. A crank arm 156 is fastened to itoutside of its bearing in the member 48 and the crank is angularly setto give any desired slope to the inclined bearings 149 by means of ascrew 157 engaging any one of a series of holes 158 arranged in an arc,about the idler shaft.

Adjustment of the degree of moistening at any one of the idler shafts ismade by changing the slope of the inclined bearings 149 by means of thecrank 156 and itsscrew 157, which changes the pressure of the applyingroll against the material 97 against the idler shaft.

In operation the feed is adjustable but at any adjustment is uniform andproportionate to the speed of the press. The feed arm 121 positivelydrives the different rolls This.

through link 134 andeccentric pin 133 on thr driving shaft 132., At thesame time it frictionally winds up the receiving spool causing uniformfeed, from the delivery spool to. the receiving spool. Continuousjigging of the rolls 65, 64 and 63 makes the respective polishing,cleaning and wiping operations more effective, the material being usedfirst as a polisher at the roll 65, then as a cleaner at the M1164 andfinally as a wiper at the roll 63, the material becoming increasinglydirty as it passes the successive rolls so that by the time it reachesthe receiving spool it is ready for replacement or cleaning.

1 For certain types of plates the old type of wipers are desirable andfor this reason my structure is made interchangeable with old I claimall such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scopeof my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is t 1. In a plate printing press, a movableplate: repeatedly inked and at the place of inking movable in onedirection only, a delivery spool, a receiving spool spaced therefronnastrip of wiping material unwinding from the delvery spool and winding onthe receiving spool, a plurality of rolls over which the strip is ledbetween the spoolsand by which it is presented as a plurality of wipingsurfaces inthe path of the. inked surface, and a common feed. for therolls and receiving spool, frictionally winding theispool and positivelyfeeding the rolls.

2.. In a plate printing press, a movable plate repeatedly inked and atthe place of inking movable in one. direction only, a delivery spool, areceiving spoolspaced therefrom, a strip of wiping material unwindingfrom the delivery spool andwinding on the receiving spool, a pluralityof rolls over which the strip is led between the spools and by which itis presented as a plurality of wiping surfaces in the path of'theinkedsurface, means for longitudinally jigging the rolls out of stepwith each other and other'means for feedingthe strip.

3. In a plate printing press, a movable plate repeatedly inked and atthe point of inking movable in one direction only, a strip of wipingmaterial, a plurality of rolls carrying the strip and presenting it as aplurality of; wiping surfaces in the path of the inked sur-f face, andmeans before different rolls for moistening the strip to differentextents for different rolls.

4. In a plate printingpross, a movableplate fiepeatedly inked and at thepoint of inking ovable' in one direction only, a strip of wipingmaterial, a'plurality of rolls carrying the strip and presenting it as aplurality of wiping surfaces in the path of the inked surface, anintergearing between the rolls adapted to drive them in the samedirection-at the same speed; and a forward feed for the intergearing.

5. In a plate printing press, a movable plate repeatedly'inked and atthe point of ink ing movable in one direction only, a delivery spool, a:receiving spool spaced therefrom, a strip of wiping materialunwindingfrom the delivery spool and winding on the receiving spool, aplurality of wiper rolls to which the path ofthe plate is substantiallytangential and prcsenting'the strip as a succession of wiping surfaces,intermediate guides supporting the'strip in tortuous path between thewiper rolls, intergearing between the wiper rolls'adap'ted to feed therolls in the same direction at the same speed, and a common feed for theintergearing and the receiving spool,

frictionally windingithe spool andpositively' feeding the gearing.

(i-L In a plate printing press, amovable plate-repeatedly inked andmoving. in the same path, a delivery spool, a IECBlVlIIg-SPOOl spacedtherefrom, astri iunwindiirgzfrom -the deliveryspool: and win ing on thereceiving spool; means. intermediate the spools for presenting the:strip at spaced intervals into the path successively as a wiper",arcleaner and a polislierg and means for forwardly feeding the stripbetween each twoiintervals.

7'. In a plate prlntingi press, movable plate repeatedly inkedxand atthe point 'ofink ing movable in one direction only, a delivery spool,.a' receiving spool spaced therefrom, a strip unwinding from thedelivery spool and winding on thereceivingispool, means inter mediatethe spools for presenting the strip at spaced intervals: into the pathsuccessively as a wiper, a cleanerand a polisher, and other meansfor:moistening: the strip for wiping, cleaning on polishing.

8; Ina-wiper, the-combination offa-plurality of parallel rolls, shaftstherefor', a" strip passing successively over the rolls-to presentdifferent contacts for a" plate, and positive means-engagingthe shaftsto. jig the rolls-out of step with I each other.

9. Ina wiper having spacedrollsfor pre= sentinga strip of wipermaterialsuccessively at spaced intervalsiagainst a=moving plate, meansforlongitudinally jigging. the: rolls comprising shafts respectivelymountingthe rolls, a rocker arm at one end ofieach shaft limiting;-itsposition in i one: axial.- direction, a cam shaft, cams thereonoperating the respective rocker arms and resilient-means at the other:end of; each shaft pressing it against its rocker arm.

CYRUS HAWKINS.

